The father of Georgia head coach Kirby Smart died on Saturday morning from complications after a fall in New Orleans before Thursday’s Sugar Bowl, which was delayed due to the New Year’s Day terror attack in the city.
Sonny Smart died at the age of 76 just after midnight ET Saturday morning, days after he fell in New Orleans and was taken to a hospital in the city. According to a statement from the University of Georgia shared by Brandon Marcello with CBS Sports, the elder Smart fell on New Year’s Eve and underwent surgery for a fractured hip.
He died from complications following the surgery. The school said:
Sonny Smart passed away on January 4, 2025, at 12:15 a.m., surrounded by his wife, Sharon, and their three children: Karl, Kirby and Kendall. Sonny fell while walking during the day on New Year’s Eve in New Orleans and fractured his hip. He was hospitalized and underwent hip surgery; unfortunately, complications arose. He fought valiantly but was unable to overcome his injuries.The Smart family expresses
their heartfelt gratitude to the Ochsner hospital and medical staff for the exceptional care provided to Sonny. Additionally, they ask for your continued prayers for those affected by the tragic events that occurred in the early hours of New Year’s Day. The Smart family treasures everyone’s thoughts and prayers and now prays for God’s comfort, strength, and guidance.
Georgia faced off against Notre Dame in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal game Thursday that was delayed after a man killed 14 people with a truck on Bourbon Street in the early morning hours of New Year’s Day.
The Sugar Bowl was delayed by about 19 hours. Georgia went on to lose the game 23-10.
Not only was UGA’s Smart dealing with the delay and the absence of quarterback Carson Beck but also with the hospitalization of his father.
According to ESPN, Sonny Smart was a longtime high school football coach in Alabama and in Georgia.
Kirby Smart previously said of his late father, “He was a very wise man, a man of few words. I tried to follow his mantra as a coach. I’ve certainly evolved from going to coach for other people, but a lot of my core beliefs came from the way he ran our programs in high school.”